A Prince's Peace
by iamselena
Summary: Severus Snape had felt guilt throughout his life. After death, he finally found peace. Snape/Lily friendship-sort-of fic.


I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters involved. I also don't own anything that I took out from the plot. I am just borrowing. This all belongs to one of the greatest author ever—J. K. Rowling.

This is a friendship fic (sort of) between Snape and Lily. Here, Snape finds peace. If truth be told, one of my favorite character is Severus Snape. He was stereotyped and thought of the worse, and people's conception of him was totally way of based.

So, cheers to Severus Snape!

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_**A Prince's Peace**_

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He was dying.

The moment Voldemort uttered _kill_ in Parseltongue, he knew Death was finally upon him. Snake fangs dug deep into his neck, his face turning pale. He was gasping in pain, as blood continue to leave his body. He pressed his fingers against the wound, trying vainly to stop the bleeding. His strength was swiftly leaving him, and oblivion was threatening to take over.

A shadow moved in front of him, and his eyes widened as he stared back into the face of the son of the woman whom he loved—no, _loves_. Harry Potter bent closer to him—the reason he did not know why—but he seized the opportunity present to him. He grabbed the front of Harry's robes and pulled him closer, whispering, "Take… it… take it—"

Memories, silvery blue and more precious than matter, gushed out of him. He watched, with growing dizziness, as the boy transferred his greatest possession into a flask, which was produced by the Granger girl.

His strength wavered, and blackness was trying to conquer his will to stay alive for a few more moments. But his desire to see his eyes—her eyes—overpowered Death for more than a second. "Look… at… me…" he whispered, his voice so low he couldn't hear it himself.

Her resplendent green eyes stared back at him, and it gave him peace to know that he may see her again.

Then Death surged on and took him away.

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Snape opened his eyes and focused on his surroundings. The place looked familiar, like it was coming from a childhood memory. It was a playground. A deserted one at that. In the distant, a chimney was standing proudly, prominent against the distant sky.

His eyes widened.

"This is the place where we first met," a voice said. "It has so many memories, huh?"

Snape stiffened and felt his heart race against his chest. Wait a minute, wasn't he dead? Why could he feel his heartbeat? But more importantly, who--?

Ever so slowly, Severus Snape turned around and his eyes locked with a pair of green ones. He felt his whole body relax at the sight of her—always had the same effect, really, even when they were still little kids. "Yes. If I remember correctly, I called you a witch and were offended by it," he replied, not knowing if this was real. Was he actually talking to her?

Lily Evans—as he always think of her—laughed. She approached him, a huge smile on her face. "Well, I wasn't aware that witches, elves and goblins actually existed. After all, I was simply human back then."

Silence.

Snape couldn't bear to face her, a constant reminder of how he insulted her, failed her, flicked in his mind more than once. Guilt was bubbling inside him, and having her here reminded him that she belongs to someone else—to James Potter.

Lily sighed. "Oh, Sev," she said, grabbing his hand. She dragged him to the swings and sat, nodding her head for him to do the same. "Sit."

Startled and unsure of what to do, Snape followed her request (or was it an order?) and sat on the other swing. Nobody in this world—not even Voldemort himself—could persuade him to sit on a swing. It wasn't just him. But of course, Lily wasn't just anyone.

"What are you doing here?"

Lily looked at Snape, who was looking directly on the ground. He looked so… lost. So guilt-ridden, and she knew why. "I'm dead," she declared, and Snape smiled ever so slightly.

"I noticed," he said wryly, glancing at her through half-lidded eyes.

Lily laughed again, a glorious laugh. Snape felt his body warm at the thought that he could make her laugh. "As I was saying," she said, looking down at her shoes as she dug it into the earth, "I'm dead, you're dead and I wanted to see you." She glanced up at him and smiled. "I missed you, Severus."

Silence greeted that admission.

Lily gave another sigh and stood up. Snape didn't even look at her. She squatted in front of him and tilted his chin. "Look at me," she said softly, her eyes seeking his dark ones. "Sev, look at me." When he finally did, she barreled on, "Why are you so guilty? You've done so much for us—James and I, Dumbledore, Harry, the whole wizarding world! You—"

"It doesn't matter." Snape clenched his fists around the chain. "I've failed, in more ways than one. I was selfish, arrogant and conceited…" His voice trailed off, and his eyes started to tear up.

Gently, Lily touched his cheeks and wiped the tear that slid down. "I would be lying to you if I denied all those things," she said quietly, "because they are the truth. However, there's more to you than just three adjectives. You are a smart person, I thought you knew—"

"I was Voldemort's servant," he blurted out, all the guilt and pressure pouring out like water. "You shouldn't have been killed! You should've lived long enough to see your son grow to the person he is today. But I've failed. God… I've failed."

"Was, Sev." Lily sat on the swing next to his, her reddish hair falling around her face like a halo. "You were once Voldemort's servant, but you've changed. For the better."

"Only because he threatened to kill you," Snape bit out angrily. "I was a coward, afraid of losing you."

"We would beg to Lord Voldemort himself if our love ones are at stake—"

"Don't you see!" Snape roughly stood up and began pacing. "I wasn't the greatest person there is! I begged for your life, but not for your son's or Potter's! I didn't care about them, only you! How in bloody hell does that make me a wonderful person! Oh," he barreled on, when Lily tried to speak up, "Stop it! Don't make any more excuses! I was a selfish bastard! I just—" His eyes watered and his face scrunched up.

And he cried.

In his life, Severus Snape cried only thrice.

Once, when Lily married James Potter.

Second, when the woman he loved died.

Third, when he was reading her last letter to Sirius Black.

Now his whole body broke down in shame and guilt. His body shook as tears streamed down on his pasty skin, landing on the soft earth below him. A few moments passed before two gentle arms encircled him.

"We all have regrets, Severus," she said quietly. "But it doesn't mean it is the end of the world. It doesn't matter what mistakes you did, or the foolishness you made. What matters are the things you did at the end of the day. That's what counts.

"I know at some point, you thought I don't care for you anymore." Snape raised his head at that, and was met with Lily's smiling face. "I was disappointed, yes, but I never stopped loving you. James is different, and I love him with all my heart. But I love you, too… just in a different way."

Maybe he had been bad before. Maybe he wasn't the greatest wizard in the world, or the greatest person who ever lived. But that doesn't mean that people don't change for the better. And it was right there—in that moment—that Severus Snape found peace.


End file.
